Go Green!

Get into Recycle-Motion

Everybody’s trying to be really green now.  You can too, by taking action to recycle.  Recycling has been around for decades and is still the right thing to do.  It’s good for the planet, it’s good for the economy and it’s good for your community.  Here’s why.

It’s good for the planet and that means it’s good for us.  By recycling, fewer natural resources are harvested or mined to make the products we use.  For example, rather than cutting down trees to make paper products, those products are being made with the paper recycled at the curb and in the office.  Recycling requires less energy, creates less pollution, and uses less water than making products from raw materials taken from the earth.  Our impacts on global warming can be reduced, by simply recycling.

Recycling is good for the economy.  Nationally, recycling creates 4 jobs to every one job in the waste industry.  Closer to home, recyclable material processing directly supports 5,000 jobs In Michigan.

Recycling is good for your community.  Just by recycling, you can help reduce the tax dollars spent by your local government for collection and disposal of your household trash. That’s because the cost for throwing one ton of trash in the landfill is at least 1.5 times more than processing one ton of recyclables.

Everyone can recycle.  Most Saginaw area households have access to recycling service at the curb.  Where curbside service is not available, drop-off recycling is an option.

Recycling is easy.  Remember It’s a 2-Step, 2 Bin process. For curbside collection, materials are separated into 2 categories, paper products and container products.  Keep paper products separated from the container items by using a bin for each category, or by placing paper items into a paper grocery bag inside the bin of container items.

Recycle these with ease.  Paper products include everything from newspapers, magazines, junk mail, cereal and tissue boxes, paper towel and toilet paper rolls, wrapping paper, copy paper, phonebooks and cardboard boxes.  Items in the container category include glass bottles and jars, metal cans and containers, aluminum foil and trays, plastic bottles marked with a #1HDPE or #2PETE symbol. You can even put in items like broken dishes or glasses, pie plates and empty paint cans – they’re all recyclable.

Recycle more.  One bin usually isn’t enough and using more than one bin isn’t a problem.  In fact, the amount of recyclables allowed for set out is unlimited.  Convert any 33-gallon container or smaller into a recycling bin by labeling it with a “Recyclables Only” sticker, available at no charge from your local government office or Mid Michigan Waste Authority.

Keep it clean.  Make recycling efforts count by keeping plastic bags out of the recycling bins.  Be sure to dump recyclables out of plastic bags before putting them in the bin for collection.  Plastic bags are not recyclable at curbside and are a problem both on the street when they blow out of the bin or truck, and at the recycling plant, where they wrap around the conveyor belt and ruin the ball bearings.  Click here to find drop off locations for plastic bag recycling.

Also on the do not recycle list, are foam products like meat trays, cups and carry out containers.  These are not recyclable, so make sure they stay out of the bin and go into the trash instead.

Remember that putting unacceptable items into the recycling bin can turn a good load of recyclables into trash.  And we know that “Too much trash means wasted cash!” 

Get started.  Call your local government office  to get a bin and get started.  Recycling is a good thing and you’ll feel good when you recycle.  You’ll also help your community keep service costs down, support Michigan’s economy and keep our planet healthy to live in.  Click here for a complete list of recyclable items and guidelines.